miércoles, 27 de noviembre de 2013

Use of Passive BY www.ego4u.comPassive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not
important or not known, however, who or what is performing the action.

Example: My bike was stolen.

In the example above, the focus is on the fact that my bike was stolen. I do not know, however, who did it.Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice, as the following example shows:

Example: A mistake was made.

In this case, I focus on the fact that a mistake was made, but I do not blame anyone (e.g. You have made a mistake.).

Form of Passive

Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle (3rd column of irregular verbs)

Example: A letter was written.

When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:

the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence

the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)

the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped)

Examples of Passive

Tense

Subject

Verb

Object

Simple Present

Active:

Rita

writes

a letter.

Passive:

A letter

is written

by Rita.

Simple Past

Active:

Rita

wrote

a letter.

Passive:

A letter

was written

by Rita.

Present Perfect

Active:

Rita

has written

a letter.

Passive:

A letter

has been written

by Rita.

Future I

Active:

Rita

will write

a letter.

Passive:

A letter

will be written

by Rita.

V. Modales

Active:

Rita

can write

a letter.

Passive:

A letter

can be written

by Rita.

Examples of Passive

Tense

Subject

Verb

Object

Present Progressive

Active:

Rita

is writing

a letter.

Passive:

A letter

is being written

by Rita.

Past Progressive

Active:

Rita

was writing

a letter.

Passive:

A letter

was being written

by Rita.

Past Perfect

Active:

Rita

had written

a letter.

Passive:

A letter

had been written

by Rita.

Future II

Active:

Rita

will have written

a letter.

Passive:

A letter

will have been written

by Rita.

Conditional I

Active:

Rita

would write

a letter.

Passive:

A letter

would be written

by Rita.

Conditional II

Active:

Rita

would have written

a letter.

Passive:

A letter

would have been written

by Rita.

Passive Sentences with Two Objects

Rewriting an active sentence with two objects in passive voice means
that one of the two objects becomes the subject, the other one remains
an object. Which object to transform into a subject depends on what you
want to put the focus on.

Subject

Verb

Object 1

Object 2

Active:

Rita

wrote

a letter

to me.

Passive:

A letter

was written

to me

by Rita.

Passive:

I

was written

a letter

by Rita.

.
As you can see in the examples, adding by Rita does not sound very elegant. That’s why it is usually dropped.

Personal and Impersonal Passive

Personal Passive simply means that the object of the active
sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. So every verb
that needs an object (transitive verb) can form a personal passive.

Example: They build houses. – Houses are built.

Verbs without an object (intransitive verb) normally cannot form a
personal passive sentence (as there is no object that can become the
subject of the passive sentence). If you want to use an intransitive
verb in passive voice, you need an impersonal construction – therefore
this passive is called Impersonal Passive.

Example: he says – it is said

Impersonal Passive is not as common in English as in some other languages (e.g. German, Latin). In English, Impersonal Passive is only possible with verbs of perception (e. g. say, think, know).

Example: They say that women live longer than men. – It is said that women live longer than men.

Although Impersonal Passive is possible here, Personal Passive is more common.

Example: They say that women live longer than men. – Women are said to live longer than men.

The subject of the subordinate clause (women) goes to the beginning
of the sentence; the verb of perception is put into passive voice. The
rest of the sentence is added using an infinitive construction with 'to'
(certain auxiliary verbs and that are dropped).Sometimes the term Personal Passive is used in English lessons if the indirect object of an active sentence is to become the subject of the passive sentence.EXERCISE ONEEXERCISE TWOEXERCISE THREEEXERCISE FOUR

sábado, 16 de noviembre de 2013

miércoles, 6 de noviembre de 2013

1. The Past SimpleThe Past Simple is used to narrate past events in chronological order:

Alice left her family home in the morning and moved to the big city. What a busy day it was! She sat and looked at the cosy living room around her. At last the house was hers. She gazed out at the London skyline with awe.

2. The Past PerfectThe Past Perfect is used to express an action that happened before a definite time in the past.A writer can use it to re-order the events of a narrative for dramatic effect:

Alice sat and looked at the cosy living room around her. At last the house was hers. What abusy day it had been! She had left her family home in the morning and had moved to the bigcity. She gazed at the London skyline with awe.

Notice that had need not be repeated if the subject of both verbs is the same:

She had said goodbye to her mother and (had) caught the train to London.

It is not always essential to use the Past Perfect. If it is clear that the events described in the time clause took place before the one in the main clause, the Past Simple can be used.

After she said goodbye to her mother, she caught the train to London.

If it is important to show that the first action was completed before the second one began, the Past Perfect must be used.

When she had raised sufficient capital, she put in an offer on the house.

For reasons of style, it is unwise (and unnecessary) to have to many verbs in the Past Perfect one after another. Once the time aspect of 'past in the past' has been established, the Past Simple can be used as long as there is no ambiguity.

The furniture suited the room perfectly. She had been to auction rooms looking for just the right period pieces, and had found some excellent examples of Regency workmanship. She bought them at good prices, and didn't pay more than five hundred pounds for anything.

3. The Past Continuous and the Past Perfect Continuous.The Past Continuous and the Past Perfect Continuous (as with all continuous tenses) expressideas of activity in progress or repeated activity.

She was wearing a green velvet dress.

She was hoping the phone would ring.She had been arranging and rearranging the rooms for weeks.

4. Past Simple, used to, and would for past habits

Used to can be used to express past habits and states:We used to go out a lot. (habit)He used to be very short tempered. (state)Would can express typical behaviour. Whereas used to is quite factual, would looks at pasthabits rather nostalgically.We had some lovely holidays by the sea when I was young. We'd spend the day collecting seashells, or we'd go for long walks on the cliffs.Would can not be used to express past states.(We cannot say *He'd live in a lovely cottage .)If the past action happened only once (and is therefore not a habit), the Simple Past must be used.

5. 'At the beginning', 'In the end' etc.

The words and expressions that tell us when something happens in a story are not all used in quite the same way.At the beginning (of the story) tells us the chronological point.In the beginning and at first suggest a contrast later. We expect to hear but later thecircumstances changed.At the end of (the story) tells us the chronological point.In the end suggests a contrast earlier. Before, there were problems and uncertainty.Finally and eventually suggest a long wait. (Finally usually comes before the verb.) Theoutcome may be positive or negative.At last suggests a very long wait. The outcome is positive.

miércoles, 30 de octubre de 2013

Ancient Origins of Halloween

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in).

The
Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the
United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on
November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the
beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often
associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the
new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead
became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain,
when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In
addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the
presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or
Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people
entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were
an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark
winter.

To
commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the
people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic
deities.

During
the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of
animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes.
When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which
they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to
help protect them during the coming winter.

By
A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the
course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two
festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic
celebration of Samhain.

The
first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally
commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor
Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is
the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain
probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is
practiced today on Halloween.

By
the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands.
In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All
Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed
today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of
the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration
was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English
Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the
night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually,
Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2
All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to
Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as
saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve
of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.

(1)Actually
I'm working in a(2)juridical advising company and (3) my functions in this company is
(4) concerning to taxes and financial investment on markets, (5 y 6) advising to the
companies which is the best investment for them.

I was extremely pleased when our local council eventually placed
special bins in the area to encourage recycling. There are, however,
several problems.

For one thing________________________ (a completar)

Y acaba con:

I do think that these suggestions might help solve the situation. The
rest depends both on the council and our neighbours' willingnesss to
act in a more civilised manner. (Name, Surname and ID Number)
************
Ideas:

jueves, 10 de octubre de 2013

Present Perfect

FORM

[has/have + past participle]

Examples:

You have seen that movie many times.

Have you seen that movie many times?

You have not seen that movie many times.

USE 1 Unspecified Time Before Now

We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happened at an
unspecified time before now. The exact time is not important. You CANNOT
use the Present Perfect with specific time expressions such as:
yesterday, one year ago, last week, when I was a child, when I lived in
Japan, at that moment, that day, one day, etc. We CAN use the Present
Perfect with unspecific expressions such as: ever, never, once, many
times, several times, before, so far, already, yet, etc.

Examples:

I have seen that movie twenty times.

I think I have met him once before.

There have been many earthquakes in California.

People have traveled to the Moon.

People have not traveled to Mars.

Have you read the book yet?

Nobody has ever climbed that mountain.

A: Has there ever been a war in the United States?
B: Yes, there has been a war in the United States.

How Do You Actually Use the Present Perfect?

The concept of "unspecified time" can be very confusing to English
learners. It is best to associate Present Perfect with the following
topics:

TOPIC 1 Experience

You can use the Present Perfect to describe your experience. It is
like saying, "I have the experience of..." You can also use this tense
to say that you have never had a certain experience. The Present Perfect
is NOT used to describe a specific event.

Examples:

I have been to France.This sentence means that you have had the experience of being in France. Maybe you have been there once, or several times.

I have been to France three times.You can add the number of times at the end of the sentence.

I have never been to France.This sentence means that you have not had the experience of going to France.

I think I have seen that movie before.

He has never traveled by train.

Joan has studied two foreign languages.

A: Have you ever met him?
B: No, I have not met him.

TOPIC 2 Change Over Time

We often use the Present Perfect to talk about change that has happened over a period of time.

Examples:

You have grown since the last time I saw you.

The government has become more interested in arts education.

Japanese has become one of the most popular courses at the university since the Asian studies program was established.

My English has really improved since I moved to Australia.

TOPIC 3 Accomplishments

We often use the Present Perfect to list the accomplishments of individuals and humanity. You cannot mention a specific time.

Examples:

Man has walked on the Moon.

Our son has learned how to read.

Doctors have cured many deadly diseases.

Scientists have split the atom.

TOPIC 4 An Uncompleted Action You Are Expecting

We often use the Present Perfect to say that an action which we
expected has not happened. Using the Present Perfect suggests that we
are still waiting for the action to happen.

Examples:

James has not finished his homework yet.

Susan hasn't mastered Japanese, but she can communicate.

Bill has still not arrived.

The rain hasn't stopped.

TOPIC 5 Multiple Actions at Different Times

We also use the Present Perfect to talk about several different
actions which have occurred in the past at different times. Present
Perfect suggests the process is not complete and more actions are
possible.

Examples:

The army has attacked that city five times.

I have had four quizzes and five tests so far this semester.

We have had many major problems while working on this project.

She has talked to several specialists about her problem, but nobody knows why she is sick.

Time Expressions with Present Perfect

When we use the Present Perfect it means that something has happened
at some point in our lives before now. Remember, the exact time the
action happened is not important. Sometimes, we want to limit the time we are looking in for an
experience. We can do this with expressions such as: in the last week,
in the last year, this week, this month, so far, up to now, etc.

Examples:

Have you been to Mexico in the last year?

I have seen that movie six times in the last month.

They have had three tests in the last week.

She graduated from university less than three years ago. She has worked for three different companies so far.

My car has broken down three times this week.

NOTICE:"Last year" and "in the last year" are very different in meaning.
"Last year" means the year before now, and it is considered a specific
time which requires Simple Past. "In the last year" means from 365 days ago until now. It is not considered a specific time, so it requires Present Perfect.

Examples:

I went to Mexico last year.I went to Mexico in the calendar year before this one.

I have been to Mexico in the last year.I have been to Mexico at least once at some point between 365 days ago and now.

USE 2 Duration From the Past Until Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)

With
Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of
Mixed Verbs,
we use the Present Perfect to show that something started in the past
and has continued up until now. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and
"since Tuesday" are all durations which can be used with the Present
Perfect.

Examples:

I have had a cold for two weeks.

She has been in England for six months.

Mary has loved chocolate since she was a little girl.

Although the above use of Present Perfect is normally limited to
Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, the words
"live," "work," "teach," and "study" are sometimes used in this way even
though they are NOT Non-Continuous Verbs.